I read on another thread a few days ago that there isn’t an equivalent word for “looting” in the Japanese language. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but maybe so.
The Japanese culture is quite different from ours, and in many ways they are much better suited to endure and behave honorably during a time of national crisis. I heard part of their PM’s speech this morning; among other things, he said he wanted to “emphasize individual reliance”. I think a substantial percentage of US citizens wouldn’t even understand what that means.
As far as demographics go, I think what we saw during Katrina is a culture of entitlement carried to its logical conclusion. As we see our entitlement sector trending ever closer to 35%, what we saw during Katrina will be what we may reasonably expect to see anywhere in America. I live in a region that has one of the lowest minority populations in the country. Yet, I can assure you, if we were faced with a disaster of similar proportions to what is facing Japan, God forbid, people would have to take precautions to defend their property and provisions. I guarantee there would be looting. Heck, if someone was driving around now, under normal non-crisis circumstances, with an open truckbed full of gasoline, food, and backpacks full of personal belongings, they would be robbed if they left it unattended.
Do a lot of people really believe that if they don’t live in a minority-populated area that they will be safe from the type of barbarism and thuggery we witnessed during Katrina? Not likely, imo. Just watch the videos of Wisconsin “protestors” for a preview.
In Japan you can leave your bag on a train and get it back. That is no joke. I watched a friend do it.